Manitoba accessibility minister apologizing in ASL a step in the right direction says deaf graduates

Two deaf attendees of a graduation ceremony where Manitoba accessibility minister Nahanni Fontaine disparaged the work of an American Sign Language interpreter says her apology is “a step in the right direction.” Deborah Owczar and Stephanie Jebb, who were directly affected by Fontaine’s actions at the event, say they hope Fontaine consults with the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH) community for any actions that may affect them going forward. “It’s so important that our community has a real say in decisions like this,” says Jebb Both say they are scheduled to have an in-person meeting with Fontaine and her team July 28. On June 26, after her speech, Fontaine stood in front of reporters and cameras while waiting to begin a scrum with reporters. An APTN News camera, which was rolling, recorded the minister as she shared her grievances of her performance with a government aide. “I was thrown off. It wasn’t great … because the woman, she shouldn’t have been on the stage,” said Fontaine to her press secretary about the interpreter, “I’m like f**k, why did I have her on the stage? Jesus. I’m like ‘you need to leave’.” The event was held to celebrate Indigenous graduates of high school and post-secondary institutions, and an ASL interpreter was provided by the Red River College Polytechnic to make sure Deaf and HoH attendees could be fully included in the first-annual ceremony. Frustrated by not being able to see the left side of the stage during her speech, Fontaine agreed with her press secretary’s suggestion that all she could see was “frantic hand movements” – a description of sign language that offended some community members. According to the Manitoba Accessibility Office, Fontaine’s responsibility as Accessibility Minister is to raise “awareness of how people are disabled by barriers and promotes the removal and prevention of those barriers” “[When] the Interpreter moved it was like, oh so this is an event to celebrate the people who can hear. Not us, right? We’re in the way,” said Jebb in a previous interview with APTN. On July 13 Fontaine apologized again to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HoH) community – but this time alongside an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter in a closed-captioned video posted to social media. “A couple of weeks ago I used language that caused harm to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community,” says Fontaine in the video apology posted on July 14, “That moment doesn’t reflect how I feel about Deaf and Hard of Hearing Manitobans, ASL, ASL Interpreters, or accessibility as a whole. “I appreciate ASL is more than just a language. It’s deeply connected to Deaf culture and community. I take full responsibility for my words.” Since the end of June, some Deaf and HoH community members have called for Fontaine’s resignation despite two written apologies and an audio-only interview on a CBC radio show explaining her difficulties with the stage. At the time, the Manitoba Deaf Association publicly committed to continue working with Fontaine after a meeting with the minister, stating they “know this will not sit well with everyone and we do understand these feelings.” Many pointed out then that an apology video in ASL would be more meaningful, which Fontaine has now provided. Fontaine promises to do better In the recent apology video, Fontaine makes several commitments to address her original transgression. Fontaine says she and her staff will undergo deaf and deaf culture training to deepen their understanding of inclusive actions. She commits to making every public event fully accessible by working in tandem with ASL interpreters to make sure their needs and the needs of Deaf and HoH Manitobans are met. They will also be hiring a dedicated ASL interpreter to support all governments departments and bring forward regulatory amendments to “strengthen compliance and introduce monetary penalties” as part of Manitoba’s accessibility standards. A Deaf or HoH Indigenous ‘matriarch’ will also be added to the provinces’ Matriarch Circle, which identifies key priorities and strategic recommendations to protect the well-being of Indigenous women, girls, and gender-diverse people in Manitoba. In a follow-up interview with Owczar and Jebb, who were directly affected by Fontaine’s actions at the event, they say the video and its promises are a step in the right direction. Jebb says it’s a big step for the province to hire an ASL interpreter but wonders if a single interpreter will truly be enough. She hopes a Deaf person will be involved in the hiring process. She believes the person chosen to join the Matriarch Circle should be at the discretion of the Indigenous Deaf and HoH community. “It should be someone they choose, someone they feel truly represents them.” When asked if she would consider the filling matriarch role, Jebb says she believes a “true, humble matriarch doesn’t put herself forward”. She would be interested in nominating someone for the role, or accepting the role if nominated by others in the Indigenous Deaf community. Owczar would be honoured to be asked but feels someone with “deeper knowledge of Indigenous culture” would be better suited. For now, Fontaine promises to raise her standards for herself going forward. “Even in the moments of frustration, I will always be mindful that my words remain inclusive and respectful. I’m human, I made a mistake but I will do better and I will keep showing up and continue the work of building a truly inclusive Manitoba for everyone,” she says, concluding her video apology by signing “I’m sorry” in ASL. Continue Reading